Multiple-writing machine.



J. S. BRAND.

MULTIPLE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.13, 1909. I 1 38,486 Patented Sept. 10, 1912 2SHEETS-SHEET l.

' Wiflnesses Im/e Idol 1% Wm? @M J. S. BRAND.

MULTIPLE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED mums, 1909.

1,038,486., Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

24 23 7 a U l8 3 1 1 I 1 T L52? In 2/6 hi0)? 5 755 if d'wflu/ r/241.112)L I 6 i 44 JOHN S. BRAND, OF FAERHAVEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BYDIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 0F ONE-THiIRD T0 F. AMGS JOHNSON, 0F SOUTHORANGE, NEW JERSEY, AND ONE-THIRD-IO WILLIAM E. BRAND, 021! BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS.

MULTIPLE-WRITING MACHINE.

Qpeoi-fieation of Letters Intent.

T 0 all whom it ma concern:

Be it known t at I, JOHN S. BRAND, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Fairhaven, in the county of Bristol, State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multiple-Writ onthe desk; or easi y removed and con-' veniently stored until againwanted. It is especiall. useful in signing checks in offices where t enumber of checks is not eat enough to justify the employment 0 the,

large and expensive machines which are used for this purpose, but stilllarge enough to be burdensome, when the signatures have to be writtenone by one; and also in ofiices where the number of checks to be signedthough small, the signatures have to be aflixed in a limited time.

In the following description, reference is made to the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Figure l is a plan; Fig. 2 is a left elevaholding them. flat against thearms 16 and preventing the pens from rolling. The cartion of one of thepens, mounted on the writing or pen bar; Fig. 3 1s a front sectionalelevation about on line X-X of Fig.

1; Fig. 4 is a detail, in section, about .on line Y-Y of Fig. 2; Flg. 5is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 3. i

I make use of an old and well-known parallel ruler movement havingcompound or jointed links. One 01 the bars I mount, pivotally, on asuitable base and to the other or freely moving bar I attach the pens orwriting members and a pilot handle or penholder, which theoperator useswhen worlringwith the machine. The paper to be written on maybe placedon the table beside the base or, preferably, in a tray which 1s attachedto the base. A spring around the pivoted bar on the base keeps the otherbarand pens raised until forced'down by hand pressure. A pile ofdocuments may be put into signing position and, as fast as the top oneis signed, it is removed. In practice, it 1s found that five pens is adesirable number to use.

The base 1, is made, preferably of metal, so that it will havesufiicient stability without being fastened down. Between two cars 2, ismounted a bar 3, which is pivoted to turn on conical centers 4. At theleft is an angular pencarrying bar 5. The two bars are connected by twopairs of links 6-7 Patented-dept. to, 1912.

and 89, the links being joined by the tie 10, forming the well known,universally parallel ruler movement.

On a flange 11, of the bar v5 are mounted slotted pen-carriers l2- threeare shown, although, as stated, five is found to be a desirablenumber-more might be used. These err-carriers are adjustable on the penbar, eing held in a set posit-ion by clamp screws 13, which enter aV-slot 14 a little above the center of the slot, so as to draw thecarrier down firmly onto the pen-bar. 'One side of the slot-ted pencarriers 12 enters a slot 15 in the pen bar 5. This constructionprevents an excessive tightening of the screws .13 from opening orbending the pen-carriers 12. The pen-carriers have arms 16, which extendupward and are inclined to the front. The pens or writing members 17,are held by clamping bands 18, which have toe pieces 19 which engagepins 20 of the arms 16. Springs 21 press against the toe portions 19,

riers 12 have angle lugs 22 which are pro vided with slots 23, throughwhich the pens pass. These slots are slightly elongated, as shown inFig. 4 and sprin s 24, normally hold the pens against the f irward endsof the slots.

At the front end of the bar 5 is mounted an ordinary pen-holder 25, (bymeans of ball and socket joint 26), which the operator uses as a pilotin guiding the pens when writing with the apparatus.

The papers or documents to be written upon are placed in a tray 28. Oneside of the tray has a'flange 29 and is provided with pins 30, which areadapted to enter holes 31 of the bed 1. I prefer a tray with only twosides, as it gives the necessary surfaces to even the papers up againstand permits of easier removal of thesheets one at moval and thesubstitutionof another tray with papers already for signing; also it maybe placed in any desired ad ustment,

. front and rear.

It will be noted that the links 7 and 9 are not connected directly tothe bar 3, but to posts 32 which are contained in said bar giving a longbearing or hinge and that the hinges bet-ween the pairs of links arealso quite wide. This gives the links the effect of a truss, so theycannot bend or spring and as pressure is applied to the pilot handle 25to bring the pens into contact with the paper, the movement istransmitted to the rear of the bar 5, so the movement of all the pens isalike.

'A coil spring 33 around the bar 3 holds the pen bar 5, normally in anupward position, the movement being limited by an adjustable stop screw34, which is in an arm 35 from the bar 3. In order to prevent the penbar being carried too far to the left and the links straightening to apoint where they would not break, the movement of the links is limitedby a toe "36 of the link 8, striking the link 9. Fig. 1 shows the penbar and pens in their extreme left hand position. 7

It will be noted that the pens are held firmly against lateral movementby the slots of the lugs 22. The-pivots 20 and springs 24 permit thepens adjusting themselves to any slight unevenness of writ-mg surfaceand yet, as soon as s'ufiicient pressure is applied to the pilot handle25 for shading, the springs 24 will yield and the pens will move to theopposite ends of the elongated slots, causing the pen points 37 to yieldand spread, producing broad or shadedlines.

The action of the device as a whole seems obvious, from the constructionand what has already been stated. A tray of papers is placed in writingposition; the signatures are affixed or other desired writing is done;the pens are raised and the top sheet removed.

When not in use, the pen bar 5 and pens can all be closed up so as tostand over the base 1. The pens are easily removable; by swinging thesprings 21 off the toes 19, they may be lifted from the pins 20 andtaken out. Retaining sockets 38 serve as convenient storage for thepens, where they may be placed, points up, When-they are not wanted forimmediate use. Inthisposition the apparatus is very compact and may becovered in any suitable manner-the retaining sockets being put in at anangle, so that the points of the pens do not come above the other partsof the machine.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a

pen-bar mounted for universal movement; a plurality of pens pivotallyattached to said bar; in combination with means carried-by the pen-bar,independent of said pivotal attachment, for holding said pens near theirbottom ends.

2. In a machine of the class described, a pen-bar mounted for universalmovement; a plurality of pens pivotally attached to said bar, incombination with independent means carried by the pen-bar for securingsaid pens near their bottom ends-said independent securing means holdingsaid pens to move laterally with said pen-bar but permitting a slighttransverse movement.

3. In a machine of the class described, a pen-bar; means for attaching apen thereto, comprising a pivotal attachment and an independentinclosing or encircling member which is adapted to hold said pen nearits bottom end.

4. In a machine of the class described, a pen-bar mounted forv universalmovement; a plurality of pens; intermediate parts between said pens andsaid bar which are adjustable on said bar-each of said pens beingpivotally attached to one of said adjustable parts; and independentconnections from said adjustable partseach of said connections beingprovided with an elon gated slot which is adapted to inclose one of thepens near its lower or bottom end.

5. In a machine of the class described, a pen-bar mounted for universalmovement; a plurality of pens; intermediate parts between said pens andsaid bar, which are adjustable on said bar-each of said pens having anencircling band which is pivotally attached to one of said adjustableparts; guides for ,said pens near their writing points, each of whichguides is secured to one of the adjustable parts and is provided with anelongated slot adapted to inclose one of the pens; and springs fornormally holding said pens to one end of said slots.

6. In a machine of the class described, the pen-bar 5, having flange 11and slot 15, in combination with the slotted pen-carriers 12, oneportion of each of which enters the slot 15 and having clamping screws13, substantially as described and shown.

7, In a machine of the class described, a pen mounting comprising aclamping'band which has an extending toe or flattened portion; apen-carrier to which said toe is pivoted said carrier having a slottedportion which is adapted to inclose the pen near its writing point and aspring which is adapted to hold said flattened toe firmly against saidcarrier. 1

8. In a machine of this class described, the combination of the parallelbars 3 and 5, connected by links 6-7 and 8-9 which are joined by link10the bar 5 having pens 17 mounted thereon and also provided with a.pilot handle 25-the bar 3 being pivotally shown and described and forthe purposes connected to base 1; the spring 33 coiled set forth. 10around bar 3 and tending to urge pen-bar In testimony whereof I afiix mysignature 5 upward; the limiting stop composed of in presence of twowitnesses.

5 arm 35 and screw-34; the tray 28 adapted JOHN S." BRAND.

to contain papers 27- said tray being con- Witnesses: nected to saidbase 1 by pins. 30 entering J01; O. TRIPP, holes 310i said base, allsubstantially as EDWARD G. SPOONER.

